GT-SUITE offers simulation solutions that model and optimize cabins to satisfy comfort requirements and operational temperature constraints
Solution Overview
Cabin climate directly affects occupant wellbeing, energy consumption, and, in battery electric vehicles, driving range. Engineers need simulation tools that connect HVAC system design, cabin thermal behavior, and controls development within a single workflow, rather than managing disconnected analyses across multiple tools. GT-SUITE provides a scalable cabin thermal modeling environment that covers the full design process, from early phase HVAC sizing and compressor control strategy evaluation to detailed occupant thermal comfort prediction. Solar load analysis and zonal temperature modeling allow teams to assess real-world thermal conditions accurately across diverse climates and drive cycles.
For high-fidelity comfort assessment, GT-SUITE co-simulates with GT-TAITherm, which resolves conduction, radiation, and solar effects on cabin surfaces while the human thermal manikin model quantifies occupant comfort at a physiological level. Models run at real-time speeds, supporting hardware-in-the-loop integration and controls calibration directly within the simulation environment. For BEV programs, accurate cabin thermal load modeling connects HVAC energy consumption directly to range prediction, giving engineers the data needed to make informed design decisions earlier in development.
Models built in GT-SUITE enable rapid definition and calibration of cabins, allowing various design studies, such as component layout choices in the A/C loop, or assessing the effect of different window glazings on the overall HVAC system performance. These cabin models can be used to provide boundary conditions to air conditioning loops with varying levels of zonal resolution.
GT-SUITE offers the ability to create cutting-edge models by cosimulating with ThermoAnalytics’ TAITherm and GT-TAITherm, a special version of TAITherm packaged directly inside GT-SUITE. With these cosimulations, real-time capable 3D cabin comfort models can be created which are used standalone or directly implemented into a full GT-SUITE integrated thermal model.
Application Highlights
Advanced Features
GT-SUITE enables cabin comfort simulation for automotive, aircraft, and commercial vehicles, helping optimize HVAC performance and occupant comfort.
Optimize compressor control strategies using zonal cabin temperature data, enabling precise, energy-efficient climate management. This capability supports the development of smarter HVAC controls that respond dynamically to occupant conditions across different cabin zones.
GT-SUITE cabin models connect seamlessly into broader vehicle thermal systems, including A/C evaporator air circuits, vehicle cooling loops, and powertrain thermal models, enabling fully integrated system-level analysis within a single simulation environment.
When co-simulating with GT-TAITherm, leverage TAITherm's built-in thermal manikin model to predict occupant thermal comfort with high spatial resolution. This provides physiologically accurate comfort assessments that go beyond simple air temperature metrics.
Import pre-computed 3D CFD flow fields into the GT-TAITherm co-simulation to replace GT-SUITE's internal flow solution where higher spatial fidelity is required. This gives engineers the flexibility to apply best-in-class flow data without rebuilding their simulation workflow.
Model and analyze cabins for automotive, aircraft, and other vehicle platforms within a single, unified simulation environment. GT-SUITE's flexible cabin architecture supports diverse geometries and boundary conditions, reducing the need for platform-specific toolchains.
Execute full drive cycles, including standard regulatory cycles such as the NEDC, at real-time speeds, enabling rapid evaluation of HVAC system performance across representative operating conditions. This capability is particularly valuable for controls development, hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) integration, and BEV range optimization.
